Minnesota Food Code Fact Sheets

Date Marking - To monitor and limit refrigeration time, refrigerated ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food must be date marked to indicate the date by which the food must be consumed.

Employee Personal Hygiene - Employees are the most important link in preventing food borne illness. Good personal hygiene, including proper and frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent food borne illness.

Food Carts - All food carts must be operated in compliance with the Minnesota Food Code.

Hand Sanitizers and Single-Use Gloves - Hand sanitizers and single-use gloves are not substitutes for hand washing. Only after proper hand washing has been completed, should hand sanitizers or gloves be used.

Hand Washing - Hand washing is the single most effective means of preventing the spread of bacteria and viruses, which can cause infections and food borne illness.

Mobile Food Units - A mobile food unit is a food and beverage service establishment that is a vehicle mounted unit, either motorized or trailered, and readily movable, without disassembling, for transport to another location.

Molluscan Shellfish - "Molluscan shellfish" means an edible species of fresh or frozen oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops or edible portions thereof, except when the scallop product consists only of the shucked adductor muscle.

Person In Charge - The food code requires that there be a designated person in charge at the food establishment during all hours of operation. The person in charge must be able to demonstrate knowledge of food borne disease prevention and is responsible for assuring safe food handling practices.

Potentially Hazardous Foods - Disease causing bacteria grow particularly well in foods high in protein such as meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, cooked vegetables such as beans, and cooked cereal grains such as rice. Because of the high potential for rapid bacterial growth in these foods they are known as "potentially hazardous foods."

Purchasing Food Products - Purchasing food products from an approved supplier is the first step in ensuring safe foods to serve to customers.

Receiving Food Products - When food products are delivered to an establishment's door, it is the responsibility of the person in charge to ensure inspection of every food delivery for general cleanliness, condition of containers, and signs of temperature abuse.

Safe Sanitizing - Sanitization is a process whereby the numbers of disease causing organisms are reduced to safe levels.

Seasonal Temporary Food Stand - A seasonal temporary food stand is a food and beverage service establishment that is a food stand which is disassembled and moved from location to location, but which operates no more than 21 days annually at any one location.

Seasonal Permanent Food Stand - A seasonal permanent food stand is a food and beverage service establishment which is a permanent food service stand or building, but which operates no more than 21 days annually.

Special Event Food Stand - A special event food stand is a food and beverage service establishment which is used in conjunction with celebrations and special events, and which operates no more than three times annually for no more than ten total days.